If man makes it bare, nature covers 
it with weeds. One of the greatest 
crimes against nature man is guilty 
of, and for which he has suffered 
much, is that of making the ground 
bare and leaving it bare for long pe- 
riods. Weeds are among the best 
friends the plant grower has. When 
soil is left bare the sun, wind, and 
rain rapidly leach out and carry 
away the fertility and much of the 
soil itself. In our selfish greed we 
take off from the soil everything 
we can use to satisfy our lusts and 
leave the soil bare. Soil left bare be- 
comes hard and the food elements 
insoluble. On the other hand, soil 
kept covered, even with boards or 
stones, or any other material, be- 
comes mellow and the plant food 
soluble, so that the roots of the plant 
can absorb it. | 7 
Man has destroyed the vegetation 
of the western plains and the wind 
has blown the soil away. They 
reaped what they sowed. Any piece 
of ground that is left bare will lose 
some of its best soil in a wind storm. 
The present use of the land in this 
967 
